Medway covers Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood, Rainham and the Hoo Peninsula. The towns share some quirks for homeowners: a tidal river, flash flooding after heavy rain, a lot of older housing, and a tip you have to book. This guide covers what's different about looking after a home here, with links to the council pages that matter and to vetted local trades when you need one.
Last reviewed November 2026. This guide is general information. Always check with your council for your own address.
| If you live in… | Your council is… |
|---|---|
| Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood, Rainham, Hempstead, Wigmore, Cuxton, Halling, Hoo St Werburgh and most of Walderslade and Lordswood | Medway Council |
| Aylesford, Ditton, Larkfield, Snodland and part of Walderslade | Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council |
| Boxley, Grove Green, Sandling, Lidsing and part of Walderslade and Lordswood | Maidstone Borough Council. See our Maidstone guide. |
Not sure which council you're in? Enter your postcode on GOV.UK's find your local council tool.
Southern Water supplies most of Medway's drinking water and runs the public sewers. South East Water and Thames Water supply small parts of the area, so check your water bill to see who supplies you.
If your kettle and showerhead fur up quickly, your water is hard. These steps help:
What helps:
Medway's flood risk comes from two directions.
The tidal River Medway. The Environment Agency runs a flood warning area for the tidal River Medway and the Medway estuary, covering the Medway towns, Upnor and Hoo. Its long-term strategy for the estuary says about 18,000 properties face greater tidal flood risk as defences age and sea levels rise.
Heavy rain. Surface water is the bigger day-to-day risk. The council’s flood risk strategy puts about 14,200 homes at risk of surface water flooding. On 29 May 2018, 75.6 mm of rain fell in under three hours, and homes on Nelson Terrace in Chatham flooded inside. Balmoral Road and Canadian Avenue in Gillingham were also hit. A shorter downpour on 1 September 2023 flooded Nelson Terrace again, and parts of Chatham High Street and Walderslade.
Three things are worth doing before the wet months:
Check your long-term flood risk on GOV.UK's flood risk checker.
Sign up for free flood warnings through GOV.UK's flood warnings service.
Make a simple flood plan: Know where your gas, electricity and water shut-offs are. Keep important documents somewhere safe and high up. Photograph your home and belongings now, in case you need to claim.
Report surface water flooding to Medway Council and blocked public drains to Southern Water. In an emergency, call 999. Tidal River Medway flood warning area · Medway Council: report flooding · Flood Re: insurance in flood risk areas
About a third of Medway's homes (34.5%) were built before the Second World War, many of them Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester. Older homes like these often need:
Medway has more than 20 conservation areas, including Historic Rochester, Star Hill to Sun Pier, Brompton Lines, Upper Upnor, Upper Bush in Cuxton, and New Road and Maidstone Road in Chatham. In nine of them, Article 4 directions mean some homes need planning permission for changes such as new windows, doors or roof alterations. Check before you replace anything at the front of the house.
The Kent Downs National Landscape takes in part of the Medway Valley in the south, and Green Belt land west of Strood keeps the gap with Gravesend. Extensions in either face stricter tests.
Medway Council: Article 4 directions · Conservation area appraisals · Permitted development vs planning permission
Before any work on an older home:
Medway has three household waste and recycling centres:
Capstone, Shawstead Road, Capstone (ME7 3JL)
Cuxton, Sundridge Hill, Cuxton (ME2 1LF)
Hoath Way, Ambley Road, Gillingham (ME8 0QH)
Book every visit in advance, online or by phone on 01634 333 333. Booked slots run from 8am to 4pm, every day. Only people who pay council tax to Medway can use them. Bring your driving licence and proof of address, such as a council tax or energy bill.
Small private vans are allowed only at Capstone and Cuxton, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and must be booked at least four days ahead. Vehicles must be under 2m high, and transit and Luton vans aren't allowed. Hoath Way takes no vans, mattresses, tyres or plasterboard. The tips don't accept business waste, including waste from landlords.
Clear gutters, gullies and drains once the leaves are down, as heavy rain is the main flood risk here. See the October home maintenance checklist.
Get the boiler serviced before the cold weather.
Near the river? Sign up for flood warnings, and keep valuables and documents up high.
Find your stopcock and check it turns, before a pipe freezes or bursts. See what to do if a pipe bursts.
Draught-proof doors, letterboxes and loft hatches. See our draught-proofing guide.
When a job comes up, you can compare quotes from up to three vetted local trades. Each trade's insurance and certificates are checked before they can quote. Quotes come through Trade Pilot, our platform for trades.
All trades in Medway → · How we check trades
Moving or buying elsewhere? See all our local guides.
Medway is bringing in new licensing for rented homes. From 4 January 2027, many private rentals in central Chatham, Gillingham, Luton, Strood North and Watling will need a council licence, and so will smaller shared houses in most of those wards. Since 22 January 2026, you’ve also needed planning permission to turn a family home into a small shared house in the same areas.
The Medway landlord guide → · The landlord certificate checklist
Home+ is a free app that builds your home's maintenance schedule and reminds you before the boiler service or a safety check is due. It also keeps certificates, guarantees, receipts and photos in one place, ready for an insurance claim or for when you sell.
Create your free Home+ account and get your home's maintenance schedule, with reminders before each check is due.